Adjustable-unit visible-card index.



f entren.

'HENRY winnend?, or, cnrcaec, HitIn-ors.v

ADJUSTABLE-unir vrsInLE-cann INDEX.

Tovallwkomz'twiayconcern."1 l y Bejit known tliat- I, HENRY MILLARD, .a

citizen' of the United States, .residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented'new and useful Im? provements in AdjustableUnitv Visible. CardIndexes, of which the following isa full, clear, and exact description. l

My-invention relates to what 4is known as adjustable visible index-card. units comprisinga number of interlocking stripsofcard board and means for mounting the same.

The object of my invention is to provide v'a series of suchcards 'having a centering tongue, andV a horizontal slitor mouth, andl interlocking, by vvirtue of the tongueof the' v y superposed cards entering the slits of the cards immediately' below the same-in such A lmanner that the cards cannot have independent lateral movement' and. are `supported parallel toA each other by the card matically hold them iin ositiorg, to provide v units below them.

lAnother object of my inventionis to providea convenient trame for mounting ,thev

card units so that their own resistance tothe position in which they are set will4 autothem with, means for facilitating the separation of a series 'of cardsat any pointjto permit of the `withdrawal or theA insertion of one or vmore card units whenever desired,

and to provide a lifter element that is useful whenit is'desired toclose the gap .resulting from saidseparation. These and other objects I accomplish by the. means hereinafter .fully described,rand

' '15 as particularly 'pointed out inthe claims.

In .the drawings Figure l is a frontiview lo 'one of the frames in which my improved card units are assembled. Fig. 2 is 'a verti- .cal section of the Same taken' on dotted line ofthe same taken on dotted line 3 3, Fig. 1, -and drawn to a larger scale. 'front'view of one of said card units removed Fig. 4 is a from its frame. Fig. 5 isa similar view of a group of said units. Fig. Gis av perspecf ltherewith.

tive view of a clamp used in connection with said cards when inthe frame. ,Fig 7 is a rear view of the lifter used in connection :The indexjcard units A'oorrespond in design and construction, and each conslsts of -a comparativelyl narrow .strip of ,stiff rpaper or card-board or othersuitable material #having a broad tonguev a4 projecting down v Specification of Letters lpatent.

ment of said cards.

from the center 'ofthelower edge thereof, vthe'side edges of whichconverge at corresponding any les toa point b which latter is intersecte by an imaginary vertical line striking 'through the center of length of 'the card. Above this ,tongue the card is provided with a mouth B consisting of. a

. longitudinal- Vslit-which is not quite as long Aas the width of the root-of the tongue -and has its ends c, c, cut downward .at a corresponding incline and then parallel to the .side edges of the card again in alinement The supporting frame in which' a series of these interlocked index cards are mounted is practically .flat and comprises vertical sheet metal' members 2,2, which constitute l Patented Jan. 2, 1917. Apiilijcatia niet octber 23, 1915. serial No. 57,398.

the sides'of the frame andtop land bottom horizontal sheet metal' members 3, 8, that constitute the vtop and bottom of the same.A VThe Verticali members 2, A2," preferably, consist of two corresponding vertically elongated sheet metal strips of suiicient width which are secured Hat aga-inst each other by riveting or otherwise so asv to bringtheir longitudinal edges together, and these longitudinal edges are bent awayl from -each other'back over the sides thereof toorm longitudinal guideways 4,4. The opposite vertical edges are bent forward and rearward at right angles Ato the sides to provide lateral'flanges 5, 5,' that are secured together and inclosed within a metal envelop 15, and these {ianges extend the-entire length of the side members except for aboutvone-half .an inch at the ends thereof'where they'are cut away, v j

The upper and l'owermembers 3,3,cf the frame-each Iconsists of a strip of metal which is. doubled to bring the longitudinal edges thereoftogether and inclose within the bend a wire or metal rode. These rods extend beyond one 'side o'l' theframe and have their extremities 7 bent toward each other to form pintles or pivotal pins that are journaled in bearings 1n a suitable stand (not shown). The upper and lower` ends of side-members 2, 2, are inserted between the l of said-frame and will'lap outside'of-the end edges ofthe upper and vlower members 3, 3, and the llanges'f, thereof will be separated a distance Vabout as shown and will suitable material, which is folded longitudinal'ly along its center line to bring itsV tion in constitute the vertical edges of the vertically elongated opening of said supporting-frame. The index card units are mounted in this frame by inserting one end edge thereof under one guide-wayand the .oppositeend edge thereof under the opposite guide-way of the same. he flanges 5, keep the medial portion of said index card units bowed outward., and thus cause the ends of f said units to press outward against the outer side of the guide-ways to lsuch an extent that the vfriction between sai-d ends and the outer overlapping portion of the guide-ways will hold said units against independent move meut when they are not disturbed.

. The CardI unitsare connected in. the man`1 ner' hereinbefore explained when they are nifninted in the supporting-frame, but l preller to support the units in each frame by a lifter 8. This lifter isfshown in front eleva- 1 and in rear .elevation 1n Fit'. 7,

ts of a strip of Celluloid or other and cons longitudinal edges together and to form lips 9, L", that are'riveted together by ordi* naryeyolets 10, "l0, ysuch 'as are `used for fastening strips of paper together. The lowormost eard'unit in the frame is inserted between the lips of--this litter, and the tongue thereof extends down between the eyelets, as shown in dotted lines in l, and in order to stiften -this lifter 8, l insert in the bend thereof Vbelow the eyelets a stri-p.;

l, of elastic steel 11, which is straight except at its 'ends l2, which latter' are bent obliquely to a slight extent in the same direc# tion. strip 11 'are insertedin the guide-ways and the vends of. said strip are sprung and insure 'the retention of the lifter in any vertical position to which it may be adjusted in the l also prefer to use a clamp 13 in connecr'ion with my `iinprovements that consists of a strip of spring metal, similar to strip 11 used in the lifter. This clamp 'may be sprung into position at the top of the series of card units. shown in Fig. 1 ofthe pping portions of the upper and lower l 'members of the frame and are riveted or he ends of lifter 8 and the spring' nail ofthe operator is caughtover the upper edge ofthis unit and the series o eardsbelow Vare pushed downward a distance corresponding tolthc width of acard unit. The ends of the card u'nit to be inserted are then sprung into position under the' guidewa'ys, .or in such position that the lpoint of the tongue thereof `can be vmoved down back of the uppe` edge of the 'card unit engaged by the 4linger jnail and will enter the mouth of the latter unit until the lower edge of the inserted unit rests against the portions e, e, of slit B of the unit so engaged bythe. finger nail. The clamp is then removed and the superposed portion of the Aseries of card units are pushed downward and made to engage-'the units below so as tolill up thel gap 1n the vmanner hereinbefore described, and as shown in thedrawings.v If it isv desired to remove'orie of said card units, the same manner of separating thel series at they point where 'the withdrawal is desired is adopted, as when an insertion is vto bemade, and the unit is then withdrawn first by mov- .ing it upward end then outward until its 9o ends move out .of the guideovays, and'then the gap caused by the removal of said index .is closed in the manner hereinbeforel de- ,iscribed I lVhat' I claim as new is: 95 l. .A card having a depending tongue andl a slit a portion of the length of which is olset; the slit being located between the tongue and theupper edge ofthe' card into which the tongue of a superimposed card is adapted to be inserted, and the offset portion of said slit being less in length than the distance between the ends thereof. 2. A card having a depending tongue and a slit;` said tongue extending laterally from the body portion of the card and the portion formed in the card by the slit being nar-. rower at its mouth than at it'sbase to produce a lip whic'hprojects from -the plane of the card when the tongue of a superimposed card is-inserted within the slit. f 3. rllhe combination of a series of horizontally disposed'cards, in combination with a- `frame in which the saine are 1nounted, and a lifter device which supports said cards and 1.15

is arranged and has its ends confined in the vSanne frame inwhich said cards are seated.

' 4f. A card having a slit and a depending Aso . tongue; the slit being formed in the card between the tongue and the upper edge of the card.; the uppermost .portion of the slit forming a lip, andthe. tongue being pro``v kduced'by a depending portion'of the card below the lip .formedby the slit.

, 5. The combination .with a sericsofhori- Zontally disposcd'cards each having inter-v locking tongues and mouths-'or slits7 in co1n bination with a frame in which thesame are mounted having means in which the ends of ysaid cards are retained and adapted 4to bow the medial portion of said cards outward, and a flat strip of spring steel the ends of which are adapted to engage and be inserted in said guideways.-

6. The combination with a series of horizontally disposed cards each having interlocking tongues and mouths or slits, in combination with a frame in which the same are mounted having means in which the ends of said cards are retained and adapted to bow the medial lportion of said cards outward, and a flat strip of spring steel the ends of which extend obliquely and are adapted to engage and be inserted in said guide-ways. s.

7 The combination with a series of horizontally disposed 4cards each having `interlocking tongues and mouths or slits, in com-` bination with a frame in which the same are mounted having means in which the ends of said cards are retained and adapted to bow the medial portion of said lcards outward, and a lifter device1 tl'i,ends"of which engage and are inserted u'ifsaid guideways and in which the lowermost of said series ofnards is seated.

8. The combination with a series of horizontally disposed cards each having interlocking tongues and mouths or slits, in combination with a frame in which the same are mounted having means in which the eds of said cards are retained and adapted to bow the medial portion of said cards outward, and a lifter device consisting of a strip of suitable material folded to bring its longitudinal edges together and suitably spaced apart, eyelets for riveting said lapping portions together; the lowermost unit o 'said series o/,eai'ds'being seated between the lapping portions of said lifter and the tongue thereof entering between said eyelets.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set y my hand this 18th day of October, 1915.'

HENRY MILLARD.

Witnesses:

FRANK D. THoMAsoN, FLORENCE MITCHELL. 

